The Freedom Found in Webcomics

Animefringe sits down to talk with Jason Martin, penciller and inker of various American comic books about life, art and Faolain, the webcomic.

Many fans of manga and comics dream of one day drawing the very comics that they read, and sometimes, with a lot of hard work and luck, their dream comes true. However, every journey begins with that first step. Animefringe sat down recently with talented artist Jason Martin to talk about comics, drawing, and the unique opportunity that a webcomic affords the artist looking to break into the business.

As an inker for several well-known comic books for a wide variety of companies (Wildstormís Thundercats, Marvelís Livewires, Dark Horseís Grendel: Black, White & Red, Image Comicís Battle Chasers, to name a few titles) and a guest at this yearís Nan Desu Kan with a panel on inking, Jason Martin has experienced life from both sides of the table: being a fan and an aspiring artist, and as a professional artist giving advice to newcomers looking for ways to break into the industry.

His illustration work spans outside of the realm of comics, with work on RPG books for White Wolf and Green Ronin, as well as merchandise, advertisement, magazine and website art for various professional clients. You can find his one of his most recent works at newsstands everywhere with his pin-up illustration (a co-operative artistic effort with his equally talented wife, Heather) of Alishia Dragoon in Play Magazineís Girls of Gaming V.3.

Animefringe/Janet Crocker: When did you start reading comics?

Jason Martin: It was around the early 80ís.

AF: What was the first comic that you remember reading?

JM: I was crazed for the ĎShogun Warriorsí toys, and
Marvel had released a comic based on them that I
remember reading. However, what made the big impact on
me was G.I. Joe #11.

AF: You got started in the comic book industry in 1994;
how did you get started?

JM: 1993-1994 was the official time that I started, but
I had been around it a couple years prior. At one
point, I was contemplating moving out to Los Angeles to
pursue a special effects career, or get started in
comic books. The latter had been my dream since I was
kid. Both of these seemed nearly impossible, since I
lived in a very small town and had no connections.
However, once I started attending DragonCon in Atlanta
(and showing my portfolio around), I made some comic
book connections and eventually joined a studio.

AF: What past works are you particularly proud of? Any
favorites?

JM: Any work I did with Adam Hughes or Ed McGuinness Iím
proud of. My all-time favorite was working with Joe
Madureira on Battle Chasers ...like many others, I
wish it wouldnít have ended.

AF: During this past year, you worked with Adam Warren
on Livewires. Many of our readers are familiar with
him through his work on the OEL Dirty Pair manga, as
well as generally introducing a lot of comic readers
to the manga art style. Does a manga-inspired comic
require any different inking techniques?

JM: Concerning inking, I wouldnít say it does (and Adam
Warren would probably say otherwise). †I generally
base my inking style on the penciller. An inker is
only as good as his penciller (unless you start
redrawing things for him, at which point you become a
finisher).

AF: Do you see the current fascination with manga and
anime in America as something that we will look back
at as a short trend in comics (i.e. social issue
comics during the 80's, and the early 90's variant cover
boom and crash), or as part of the evolution of comics
over time as a whole?

JM: Itís anything but a trend, and itís causing quite a
divide in American comics. As the comic book industry
evolves, so do the fans. Really, itís the fans that
dictate the future of any entertainment, and comics are
no exception. If there is a trend in comics right now
(and when I say Ďcomicsí, Iím talking about American
comics), itís a push for more realistic looking books.
Superhero books are still the big sellers, and the guy
who buys them is in his 30ís. †(When was the last time
you saw a Ďkidí read a comic book?) †These guys donít
want to see anything but what they are accustomed to.
Livewires is a good example of this: †it came out to
great reviews, but the sales were lackluster. Marvel
didnít seem to know how to market the book at all.
Interestingly enough, the series has been collected
into a trade paperback now and printed in a nifty
manga-size. Maybe it will see more fans and better
sales in this version.

AF: Your wife, Heather is a great illustrator and
colorist in her own right. How do you balance your
personal relationship with your professional one? Do
you have distinct jobs in who does what on a project?
Who has the final word?

JM: We are a team every step of the way. Giving credit
is a little bit difficult since we overlap each
otherís duties. While I handle the pencilling and
shading, Heather is the forerunner on the story and
runs the website. Iím handling the forums and the
overall feel of the website, although Heather knows me
so well that this isnít even a problem. Honestly, itís
just teamwork every step, and that includes the
relationship side as well.

I should also note that even though [Faolain] is a
manga-style book with no color, Heather will be
handling the coloring of special pieces coming out in
the future. So her beautiful colors will feature
prominently, especially in print.

AF: Recently, you've had a lot of commissions for pin-up
art, especially for video games. How did you get into
it?

JM: It found us, actually. After we launched our online
portfolio (Artplaymix.com), we began getting offers
from all kinds of various publications. The assistant
Art Director of Official Playstation Magazine was a
fan of ours and simply emailed us. Weíve done quite a
bit of work for them since that time, and this lead to
other magazine-related jobs.

AF: How important are conventions for promotion?

JM: Very. Other than the Internet, itís the best way to
show off what you have been up to.

AF: Do you have any tips for artists who want to get
into comics? Where can you start?

JM: It takes extreme dedication to be in comics. You
wonít get a contract, you wonít get benefits, and in
the early days, you will barely get paid. There are so
many routes that lead to getting in. What it all comes
down to is talent. Letís say you have a talent for
penciling, and someone (an editor or publisher) feels
they will make money by having you draw
Spiderman... then youíre in. Iíve done many portfolio
reviews, and tell all artists the same thing: convince
the company that your art can make them money. A
company will always want to make money, not lose it.

AF: You've just started a webcomic of your own called
Faolain, available at www.faolaincomic.com. Why a webcomic?

JM: I love the idea of webcomics. You are given complete
control to do whatever you want to do. You can reach
people all over the world, and you can access it from
anywhere there is an Internet connection. Whatís not
to like?

AF: Can you give us a hint at the story of Faolain?

JM: I donít know how long the entire story will be, but
we have a long one planned. The summary can be found
on the website, and you are just getting the very tip
of the mountain at the moment. †Faolain is in for some
interesting changes!

AF: Can you tell us about the characters in Faolain?
Goldifox is so cute!

JM: I donít want to reveal too much, but we will be
meeting quite an interesting cast as we go along. If
you are familiar with my tastes and design style (and
find them appealing), you wonít be disappointed.
Goldifox is already a fave. Thatís one special dog
^_-.

AF: What inspired Faolain? Any folktales in particular?

JM: Heather and I come up with ideas all the time, and
weíve talked about doing a comic/manga forever. I
mentioned how Iíve always loved the imagery of Red
Riding Hood and would love to do a story based on its
themes. However, the story and world come from what we
enjoy in our entertainment.

AF: What is the mood that you are aiming for?

JM: Something mysterious, wicked, cute and sexy. The
story will have a mix of adventure, comedy and drama.

AF: How much of the story is plotted out already?

JM: I know what beats I want to hit and when. The
moments between those beats grow constantly, so itís
hard to pinpoint an accurate number.

AF: Will Faolain be collected and published eventually,
or do you intend to keep it online only?

JM: Ultimately, that is the goal, though it will remain
online as well. As we have been going to various
conventions, Iíve asked fans what they would like.
They seem to want both, which is fine by me.

AF: Any final thoughts for our readers?

JM: I want to make it little more clear as to why we
decided on doing a webcomic (since I do †have so many
connections to the comic world). Ever since I picked
up the pencil, my goal has been to draw things that †I
would be a fan of. The webcomic is exactly this. It
gives Heather and I the freedom to pursue our ideas to
the fullest. Thereís no middlemen here dictating the
way they feel your idea should go. Itís freedom and
itís wonderful.

Interested in seeing more of Jason and Heather Martinís work? Drop by their online portfolio at Artplaymix.com and Heatherís personal portfolio, COVETED. Keep up to date with the adventures of Faolain at FaolainComic.com, with a new comic page each Monday!